the future is not so bright for horse racing, is it?

​I am writing, of course, of horse racing in Great Britain, the ancient home of the sport.
Since the more scandalous times of the 19th century there has always been fabulously wealthy men prepared to fritter away a good proportion of their fortunes by ‘investing’ in thoroughbreds. In the thirties Maharajahs indulged themselves in British racing as Sheikhs do now. With the notable exception of the Aga Khan perhaps British racing has not known anyone with the enthusiasm and longevity of Sheikh Mohammed and the racing enthusiast and the sport must cherish him as it might be a very long time into the future before his ‘like’ devotes so much energy again to the breeding and racing of the thoroughbred.
I am not sure exactly what role the B.H.A. has within the sport, whether it exists simply to adjudicate on disputes and objections, to protect the rules of the sport or to be the figurehead upon which government can lean upon. What it should exist for, and if it is amongst its role, they are doing a very poor job of it, is to ensure British racing is the best in the world. Yes, we have the most famous races but what does that count for if all around the Derby, Grand National, St. Leger, Cheltenham Gold Cup, etc, the infrastructure is rusting and falling into ruination? 
Prize money is the ill, the virus, if you will, that is the cause of sport’s failing health. Everyone knows it and the world and his wife seem to talk about it and some even put forward solutions to end the malaise. The B.H.A., on the other hand, seemingly neither notice the slide into obscurity for our sport they administer nor do they advance any solutions to return Britain to the forefront of the sport worldwide.
Of course, there is one glaring solution and it stares everyone in the face. It is the funding revenue that every other sporting nation adopted many moons ago but which is rejected by pundits and the sport’s governing body. Given the choice, I would rather have a ‘Tote Monopoly’ providing lucrative funding than bookmakers providing ‘atmosphere’ on our racecourses any day of the week. It is not an elephant in the room but a whole bloody herd of elephants and to continue with the policy of ‘that ship has sailed’ in an age when the technology is there to bring the sport to every human on the planet, virtually, (in both senses of the word) is incomprehensible to me.
So, my vision for a more optimistic future for the sport begins (and almost ends) with betting revenue finance.
The whip issue has gone on for far too long and needs to be brought to rest a lot quicker than the B.H.A.’s steering group will allow. I am in the ‘one crack and that’s that’ camp and it should be trialled as soon as possible. The British government, if you are not aware, has debated a ‘sentient being’s act’ which will give rights of emotion and sensation to all animals with a backbone’; although this is a beautiful and forward thinking change of direction, it will give politicians an enabling position to ban the use of the whip on racehorses, and perhaps even ban the sport. If the ‘steering group’ come to the conclusion that all is right as it is with the whip we are doomed, to be labelled cruel, the sport’s future as secure as bear-baiting and cockfighting. ‘One crack and that’s that’ will mean less injuries to horses as they will be less prone to ‘rolling off a true line and putting weight onto limbs not designed to take such a burden at full-speed’ and less stewards’ inquiries; it will also improve the way jockeys ride as keeping a horse balanced and galloping in a straight line will become their priority. History informs us that there was an outcry when riding spurs were banned and when nudge and jostle was outlawed. Once upon a time it was neither illegal nor against the rules of racing for horses to be doped. In ten-years it will be wondered why jockeys were ever allowed to hit a horse eight, nine, ten or more times.
There are other improvements that could be made to the sport: a more varied race-programme; a greater effort to allow every trainer, jockey and owner to turn a profit or at least not make a loss; more races per meeting but less meetings per day; the summer jumping programme could be similar to Ireland with more three and four-day festivals so that jockeys, trainers and owners can make a greater contribution to local economies; greater incentives for people to breed racehorses; and the mental health of the sport’s working community should be given greater priority over the needs and wants of media and the bookmaking industry.
But no strategy or great idea will have legs unless the finance of the sport is on a par with France, Ireland, Australia, Hong Kong and the U.S. Million-pound races is like kicking sand into the face of the starving when the majority of prize money on a daily basis is below £3,000 per race.
It is all well and good trainers and owners, in particular, bleating about their concerns for the sport but why aren’t they putting pressure on the B.H.A. to come-up with solutions, especially when the solution to all racing’s ills is so bloody obvious?